The performance of Hamlet by the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Company in Guyana was historic and significant for a number of reasons. It is striking as a production generally; in terms of its special circumstances as travelling theatre; as an effectively designed and impressively performed theatre experience in its own right; in the wider context of contemporary theatre in the world; and in the peculiar context of theatre in Guyana.
It is special because of the company that performed it and their unique project. The project itself largely determined the shape and style of the production. This design is worthy of comment as contemporary world theatre, as Shakespeare, and the way the Globe does Shakespeare. These in themselves make a very interesting study, but the visit to Guyana was unique because of the presentation of a rare experience for Caribbean audiences and because of what it revealed – the good and the ugly – about the audience for theatre in Guyana. This last cannot be overlooked in anything written for Guyanese readers,
